Knight in Shining Pyjamas
by sue-sylvester-shuffle
Summary: (Takes place after 3x19) Margaret can't sleep after visiting the aid station. Hawkeye is glad to lend a hand... or a bed to sleep in. (SLIGHT HAWKEYE/MARGARET.)
1. Knight in Shining Pyjamas

**AN:** So, this fic takes place after the episode 3x19, 'Aid Station'. I really liked that episode, for a number of reasons. But most of all, it had some really great Hawkeye/Margaret moments! Anyway, there is one line from that episode in here. It's the one about chivalry. Enjoy!

xXx

It was nighttime, and nearly everything was silent in the 4077th. All around the camp, people were asleep, exhausted from the day's work. In her tent, however, Major Margaret Houlihan could not sleep. Every time she closed her eyes, the explosions and crashing of walls she'd heard at the aid station would ring in her ears, and she'd be roused painfully back to wakefulness. Trying to sleep now reminded her of trying to sleep at the aid station. Having to lie down and close her eyes while she knew there was a high chance she could die at any given moment was terrifying. Trying to relax her body when she was so on edge was impossible.

Still, she'd been able to do it… with Hawkeye Pierce there.

He had calmed her. Maybe it was because he had been exhausted too, and hadn't been his usual wisecracking self. He'd been subdued, and honest, and had curled up next to her because he'd been just as terrified as she had.

" _I want you to know chivalry isn't dead."_ he'd told her as he moved closer to her on the dusty ground. " _It's just been replaced by exhaustion."_

A smile had spread across her face, and with him there, with his soft breathing so close to her ear, she'd been able to sleep.

If only she had the same luxury now. She was back in the 4077th, which seemed like a five-star hotel compared to the aid station, and sleep should have come easy to her. Still, she was kept awake by the sounds of the blasts that had imprinted themselves inside her skull, ghosts that weren't really there.

Margaret had had enough.

She turned on her lamp and silently swung her legs over the side of her bed. The ground was cold under her bare feet. The Major pulled on her boots, and draped a blanket over her shoulders. Then she headed outside.

It was a rather cool night, which made Margaret glad that she'd brought her blanket with her. She pulled it tighter around her shoulders and walked slowly in the direction of the Swamp.

All of a sudden, a loud voice pierced the quiet night. "Halt! Who's there? Show yourselves!"

Margaret's heart leapt into her throat. _It's the enemy!_ her mind screamed. "It-It's Major Margaret Houlihan!" she called out into the choking darkness.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Major!" A figure came into view. Behind the large gun they were holding, Margaret could just make out a long, pink petticoat.

"Corporal Klinger!" she exclaimed, her voice taut with relief.

"That's right, ma'am!" he said, grinning. "Sorry about that. I hope I didn't scare you."

"Nonsense." said Margaret.

"What are you doing out and about so late?" asked Klinger. "It isn't safe."

"I can't sleep. I'm going for a walk." she admitted. All of a sudden, she realized; _he had been at the aid station too._ "Corporal Klinger," she began slowly. "After being at the frontline... are you frightened to be out here by yourself?"

"I don't think I'm any more scared than usual." was Klinger's response. "After all, this is my job. The same war is going on here that's going on over at that aid station, it's just worse in some places."

"Right." Margaret nodded. It was a noble answer, but not a comforting one. She knew exactly who would give her the comfort she needed. "I'm going to continue my walk now. Goodnight, Corporal."

"Goodnight, Major. Be safe."

Margaret continued toward the Swamp. Once she arrived there, she quietly pushed open the door and squinted around in the dark. Trapper, Hawkeye, and Frank were all asleep, from what she could see. She went over to Hawkeye's bed. "Captain Pierce." she whispered.

No response. Frank _had_ told her that he was a heavy sleeper. Gingerly, she took hold of one of the Captain's shoulders and shook him. "Captain Pierce, wake up."

"What're you doing, Trapper?" mumbled Hawkeye finally, still half-asleep. "Stop it. Nnngh."

"It isn't McIntyre, Captain Pierce."

"Then Frank, get off."

Margaret shook him again, more vigorously this time. "Captain Pierce, wake up."

"Fine, fine." He raised his head slightly, blinking groggily. "I'm awake. Who's there?"

 _Major Houlihan_ would roll easily off of her tongue. Instead, however, she said, "It's Margaret."

"Really?" Hawkeye asked, and gave a big yawn. "If you're looking for Frank, you're in the wrong bed."

Even in the dark, where he could not see her, Margaret pursed her lips. "I'm not looking for Major Burns." she replied stiffly. "I was looking for you, Captain."

"Well, I'm pretty tired now, but I'll try…"

" _Captain._ "

"I'll probably still be better than Frank."

"Captain!" she hissed. "Be _serious!_ "

"Okay." He yawned again. "What is it, Margaret?"

"I…" Now that she was actually talking to him, saying she couldn't sleep sounded childish and weak. Telling Klinger she couldn't sleep was just an answer to why she wasn't in bed; telling Hawkeye she couldn't sleep was _not_ an answer to why she was in his tent at God knows when in the morning. Her stomach clenched.

"Something wrong?" asked Hawkeye.

"I can't sleep." Margaret blurted out. "I keep thinking of being at that aid station. All of the bombs, and casualties… I just can't sleep."

Hawkeye was silent for a few moments, and unable to see his facial expression in the dark, Margaret wondered helplessly what he was thinking. _Was he going to laugh at her?_

Finally, he answered. "Come on in."

" _What?_ "

"Come into the bed. You can sleep here. No funny business, I swear."

She opened her mouth to tell him how inappropriate that was, but no words came out. _Was_ it inappropriate? They'd slept together at the aid station. And for some reason, she believed him when he said no funny business would go on. She trusted him.

"Okay." whispered Margaret. She pulled back the blankets and climbed carefully into Hawkeye's bed. He was warm against her back, and smelled like soap and gin. She dragged the blankets back up over both of them, and he curled around her with a sigh. Margaret could feel his breath on the back of her neck. It sent a shiver down her spine.

"Is this better?" he asked softly.

"Yes." she breathed. Her heart was beginning to slow back down to a steady pace, her body beginning to relax. "Thank you, Captain Pierce."

"It's nothing. But… what is Frank going to say when he wakes up and sees us like this?"

Margaret hadn't thought about that. In fact, she hadn't thought of Frank for a while. "I'll tell him I thought this was his bed."

"Okay, that sounds good. Now, can we go to sleep?"

"Yes. Goodnight, Captain Pierce."

"Goodnight, Margaret."

It didn't take her long to fall asleep, not with him there. There could be bombs dropping outside the tent. There could be snipers sitting all around the camp. But as long as Margaret was with Hawkeye, she felt safe.

end


	2. Bonus Scene

**AN:** So, I wasn't going to write any more of this fic, but two people (Maria and oldmoviewatcher) asked for a chapter with Frank's reaction to seeing Hawkeye and Margaret sleeping together. Here it is :) Enjoy!

xXx

" _Major Houlihan!_ "

The horrified gasp woke Margaret up. Blinking groggily, she rubbed her eyes and looked up. Frank was standing over the bed, looking insulted and indignant.

"Good morning, Major Burns." she mumbled sleepily. Beside her, Hawkeye was waking up slowly as well. Margaret couldn't stop a small smile from spreading across her face when she saw him open his eyes and halfheartedly grin at her.

"What are you doing in that… that _lech_ 's bed?" snapped Frank.

"What do you… _oh!_ " Margaret feigned surprise, remembering that she was going to pretend she got into Hawkeye's bed by accident. She sat up hurriedly. "Captain Pierce. How _dare_ you!"

"Hey, _you_ got into _my_ bed." Hawkeye yawned.

"I was tired last night, and I thought I was getting into Major Burns's bed!" she lied angrily. "How _dare_ you take advantage of a Major like that!?"  
"Well…" Hawkeye grinned mischievously. "I kind of liked it."

Margaret's face turned pink. "You _creep!_ " she yelled, but excitement and joy were sparking inside of her. She only hoped that Frank couldn't hear it in her voice. Hawkeye could definitely see it in her face, though, because he winked and laughed. _Oh, that laugh._

"Come on, Margaret." hissed Frank, snapping Margaret out of her daydreams.

"Yes, Frank." she said. But somehow, the thought of going to breakfast with Frank didn't make her as happy as the thought of just lying in bed with Hawkeye. "I'll meet you in the mess tent. I need to get dressed first."

"Okay." replied Frank. With one last suspicious look at Hawkeye, he stormed out of the tent. Once Margaret was sure he was out of earshot, she looked back down at Hawkeye and burst out laughing.

"Good acting." the Captain remarked.

"Thank you. Do you really think he bought it?" asked Margaret, grinning.

"Don't worry about it." Hawkeye said. "Frank is dumber than you think."

"All right. Well, Captain, I want to thank you again for letting me sleep here with you."

"Anytime, Margaret." Hawkeye said. "Insomnia is never something to apologize for, you know. Sometimes after a particularly bad day in the OR, I can't sleep either. So, anytime you want to come in here, my bed's always free…"

"All right. Thank you." She leaned down and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek. "I'll see you in the mess tent, Captain Pierce."

Margaret got up off of his bed and left the tent. It was early in the morning, and she could see the sun rising in the distance. The sky was full of gorgeous hues of pastel pink and warm orange. The Major stopped for a minute to revel in its beauty.

 _Frank wouldn't enjoy this sunrise,_ a little voice inside of her said. _I bet Hawkeye would, though._

Margaret shook off the notion and continued walking back to her tent. However, it was Hawkeye, not Frank, who stuck in her mind. After all, he too had been at the aid station, and witnessed what she had. He too had felt the terror that she had.

Thanks to Hawkeye, she had gotten a good night's sleep. The images of what she'd seen at the aid station were still present in her mind, but so were the images of his smiling face, and the warmth of his body against hers.

Margaret Houlihan took a deep breath, and smiled. She was going to sleep well that night.

end


End file.
